Hike the Coal Run/Loyalsock Loop

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Coal Run, Loyalsock State Forest

Length: about 3 miles

Parking: Lot located at 41.459687, -76.509650

Blazes: only the Loyalsock Trail is blazed, yellow and red.

Highlights: beautiful gorge with waterfalls, Sones Pond, large rocks, Loyalsock Creek.

Issues: To complete the loop, you must follow unblazed trails, and off trail hiking up Coal Run. Hiking up Coal Run is difficult.

Difficulty: moderate to challenging

Description: This short loop packs in a lot of scenery and features one of the Loyalsock State Forest’s hidden waterfall gems- Coal Run. Keep in mind that Coal Run is a small stream, so it is likely a trickle in summer or dry periods. This hike is featured in Hiking the Endless Mountains.

From the parking area, hike across the bridge on Rock Run Road. Begin to climb. Where the road turns right, look for an unblazed grade to the left. Follow it. You may notice a faint path. At a Y in the grade, go right. Reach Coal Run. Now you must hike up Coal Run, after a small cascade, hike over the rocks and fallen trees. The gorge begins to narrow and the scenery really improves. Reach beautiful falls and cascades with giant boulders, my favorite spot. From here, the cascades and falls are nonstop, so enjoy the scenery. On this hike, I stayed on the right bank heading up. Hiking up Coal Run is the most challenging part of the hike, but completely worth it.

The two tallest falls are at the top and are twenty or more feet tall. Scale the steep bank to bypass them. Rock Run Road is nearby, follow it. Make the next left onto Loyalsock Road, reach Sones Pond with a parking area and bathroom.

Sones Pond is gorgeous. Notice an unmarked path on the east shore as it tunnels through brush. Follow it. The forest becomes beautiful hemlocks with moss. Reach the Loyalsock Trail (LT) and turn right. The rest of the hike follows the LT.

Hike up to and cross Rock Run Road and then explore hardwood forests on old grades. The trail then drops down among giant rocks and ledges. Level off and then drop down in the glen of a small creek with cascades. Turn right on a forest road and then left onto Rock Run Road. Retrace your steps back to the car. This is just one of many beautiful hikes in the Loyalsock State Forest.

Green is an unblazed grade. Brown is off trail. Yellow is an unblazed path. Red is the Loyalsock Trail. This map is for general directional purposes only and is not a GPS route.

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